Tag Archives: Obocchama Kun

My first reaction upon playing this bizarre, Namcot-published platformer was, “Oh, hell no.” For starters, it’s kind of ugly. Not Superman 64 ugly, mind you, but it’s definitely uglier than your typical 16-bit game. That’s due, in large part, to the game’s homely protagonist–who bears a striking resemblance to Eddie Munster–as well as its garish use of color. The thing is, after a while you get over the hideousness of it all (or at least I did) and that’s when you realize that this Pack-in Video-developed title’s actually pretty fun. Even better, it’s interesting. It certainly isn’t the kind of me-too, mascot-centric platformer that clogged store shelves–and brought the genre to its knees–back in the 1990s. That’s evident from the start of the very first level, when a seizure-inducing scene introduces each of the stage’s featured enemies. Also setting this game apart from the platforming pack: The heavily browed Obocchama Kundoesn’t just grab power-ups like the protagonists in other, more predictable examples of the genre; rather, he beckons them by jumping onto what looks like a giant turtle shell and striking a decidedly Elvis-esque pose. Sometimes those poses produce power-ups and sometimes they summon allies–such as a blue-coifed bodybuilder, a crying teen who throws what appears to be hairbrushes and a helicopter-piloting Russian–that assist you through the stage at hand. Obocchama Kun‘s bosses–including what can only be called a chicken choker–are a similarly eccentric bunch. The game’s sometimes-slippery controls can make those encounters–and the stages that lead up to them–a bit more challenging than they would be otherwise, but even that quibble doesn’t keep it from being an enjoyably odd experience.

Of all the games on my lengthy “HuCard wish list,” Namco(t)’s Obocchama Kun has, thus far, been the most bashful when it comes to showing its face on eBay.

In fact, the only “complete” (case + manual + slipcase) version of the game I’ve found on the popular auction site–until last night, that is–is used and goes for $45. Uh, no thanks.

So what changed late last night? Well, for starters, I came across a new, sealed copy of the title. Of course, that wouldn’t have meant much if the seller had attached a $60 (or higher) price tag to it, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. Actually, it was quite the opposite–the seller was asking for just $22. Score!

As excited as I am about my most recent acquisition, I think my wallet and I need to take a bit of a break from eBay.